Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary
The median pay for a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY is $61,490/year ($29.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $142K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $70,122 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,405/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $61K actually covers in Watertown-Fort Drum, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Watertown-Fort Drum
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters pay in Watertown-Fort Drum tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,405/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in metros near Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $79K | $70K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $77K | $78K |
| Rochester | $74K | $76K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $72K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $142K or more, a $103K spread from bottom to top.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $101K | +58% | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $100K | +57% | 16,750 |
| Oregon | $97K | +52% | 5,370 |
| Minnesota | $94K | +48% | 10,720 |
| Alaska | $94K | +47% | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $94K | +47% | 13,460 |
| Wisconsin | $81K | +27% | 10,210 |
| Washington | $81K | +27% | 12,470 |
| Michigan | $80K | +26% | 14,120 |
| Montana | $80K | +25% | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +23% | 8,750 |
| Hawaii | $78K | +22% | 2,500 |
| New York | $77K | +21% | 23,210 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +21% | 5,410 |
| Rhode Island | $76K | +20% | 1,820 |
| Indiana | $76K | +20% | 11,280 |
| California | $73K | +14% | 47,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $68K | +7% | 13,620 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | +5% | 1,950 |
| Missouri | $67K | +5% | 8,310 |
| Maryland | $65K | +3% | 11,420 |
| Kansas | $65K | +2% | 4,590 |
| Delaware | $65K | +1% | 1,590 |
| Kentucky | $64K | +1% | 6,360 |
| Maine | $64K | +0% | 2,710 |
| Iowa | $64K | +0% | 5,730 |
| Louisiana | $64K | -0% | 8,360 |
| North Dakota | $64K | -0% | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $63K | -1% | 16,390 |
| Colorado | $63K | -1% | 10,080 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -2% | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $62K | -3% | 980 |
| Arizona | $62K | -3% | 11,810 |
| Utah | $62K | -3% | 7,030 |
| Nevada | $62K | -3% | 5,370 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -4% | 2,830 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -4% | 4,110 |
| Virginia | $60K | -5% | 13,780 |
| Texas | $60K | -6% | 44,090 |
| Alabama | $59K | -8% | 6,950 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -8% | 9,270 |
| Oklahoma | $58K | -9% | 6,050 |
| Georgia | $57K | -10% | 8,930 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -11% | 14,510 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -11% | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -13% | 3,360 |
| South Carolina | $54K | -15% | 5,770 |
| Florida | $53K | -17% | 29,260 |
| Idaho | $52K | -18% | 3,090 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -19% | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -24% | 3,370 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 34.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,667/month. At HUD’s $1,405/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitter a high-paying job in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $61,490 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,230, and experienced plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters can clear $141,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,056/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 34.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary go in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary is worth about $70,122 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.